Mercurochrome is a trade name for merbromin, a compound containing mercury and bromine. Mercurochrome was developed around 1918.
Merthiolate is a trade name for thimerosal, a compound containing mercury and sodium. Merthiolate was developed in 1927.
On 19 October 1998, citing potential for mercury poisoning, the FDA halted their OTC distribution within the United States.
Back in the day, when I was young, if you severed an arm, your mother would slather ‘Satan’s Spit’ on the nub, tell you not to get any blood on the floor, and send you back outside with a warning not to be back up in the house until suppertime. Mercurochrome was used to sear the wound and also to teach you not to do stupid shit any more.
Did you notice that this stuff was 30% alcohol? Did you know that they now know that mercury is hazardous to your health? … Good times.
If your parents really resented you for distracting them when they were being happy and pretending you didn’t exist except to do chores, they would use Merthiolate, which was 50% alcohol … potent enough to cauterize most gaping wounds.